1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hospital beds, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved hospital bed with a motorized table, motorized storage drawer and motorized sanitary unit which are connected for operation by a remote control unit mounted at the headboard of the bed. The commonly used type of hospital bed is provided with a remote controlled motorized adjustment mechanism for raising and lowering the head and foot sections of the bed. Tray tables utilized with the conventional type of hospital beds are manually movable and are generally mounted on a separate support detached from the bed. A typical hospital bed is not provided with sanitary facilities suitable for use by severely sick or injured patients and these typical beds also do not provided adequate storage facilities for the personal effects of the hospital patient. In order to overcome the aforesaid disadvantages associated with the conventional type of hospital bed, the present invention provides a new and improved hospital bed provided with a motorized, remote controlled, storage unit, sanitary unit and table.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of hospital beds are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a hospital bed is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,951, which issued to J. Douglass Jr. et al on Aug. 8, 1967. This patent discloses an examing table which has a motorized mechanism for elevating various sections of the bed. Manually operable storage drawers are provided on side portions of the examining table. U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,083, which issued to F. Barnett on Mar. 31, 1970, discloses a hospital bed which utilizes a power operated mechanism to adjust the bed into a position in which an invalid in the bed will be moved to a sitting up position. The bed has toilet facilities contained therein for the use of the patient without the necessity to leave the bed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,355, which issued to R. Allen et al on Sept. 11, 1973, discloses a system for collecting the body waste materials excreted by a person confined to a hospital bed. The system includes a cart which cooperates with an aperture in the mattress of the bed to collect and dispose of the waste materials of a patient on the mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,833, which issued to W. Burke on June 1, 1976, discloses a combination mattress and toilet facility for use with a hospital bed. A receptable for receiving and storing body waste is mounted within the mattress. U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,792, which issued to G. Glintz on May 8, 1979, discloses a toiletry and bath basin with disposable liners for use with a hospital bed. This device allows patients confined to a bed to be conveniently bathed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,913, which issued to P. DiMatteo et al on Mar. 4, 1980, discloses a combined hospital bed and toilet facility which allows patients confined to their beds to use the toilet without leaving their beds or to be placed in a wheel chair. A sectionalized mattress is positioned in sequential steps so as to place the patient directly over a toilet or in a wheel chair without discomfort to the patient. A section of the mattress is then removed to allow access to the toilet disposed there beneath. U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,632, which issued to B. Meyer on May 27, 1986, discloses a mattress having a recess for the reception of a bedpan.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices provide a hospital bed having sanitary facilities disposed in a remote controlled motorized drawer beneath the bed mattress. Additionally, none of the aforesaid devices disclose a hospital bed provided with a motorized remote controlled storage drawer, tray table and lamp. Another feature of the present invention, not contemplated by the aforesaid prior art devices, is the provision of a hospital bed having a tray table mounted for longitudinal movement on a remote controlled motorized lead screw and pivotal to a storage position when not in use. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of hospital beds, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for the interest in improvements to such hospital beds, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.